The original meaning of the Germanic word would thus have been an animating principle of the mind, in particular capable of excitation and fury (compare óðr).

The Germanic word is recorded as masculine only, but likely continues a neuter s-stem. geiskafullr 'full of fear'), in Gothic usgaisjan ('to terrify') and usgaisnan ('to be terrified'), as well as in Avestan zōiš- (cf. The prior Proto-Indo-European form is reconstructed as *ǵʰéys-d-os, from the root *ǵʰéys-, which is reflected in Old Norse geisa ('to rage') and *geiski ('fear' cf. Although this form is not attested in North Germanic and East Germanic languages (the equivalent word in Gothic is ahma, Old Norse has andi m., önd f.), it appears to be a dental suffix derivative of pre-Germanic *ghois-d-oz ('fury, anger'), which is comparable to Sanskrit héḍas ('anger') and Avestan zōižda- ('terrible, ugly'). Stemming from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, it is cognate with Old Frisian gāst, Old Saxon gēst, Old Dutch gēst, and Old High German geist. The English word ghost continues Old English gāst. 6.1 Renaissance to Romanticism (1500 to 1840)įurther information: Soul, Genius (mythology), and Geist.3.4 European Renaissance to Romanticism.In folklore studies, ghosts fall within the motif index designation E200–E599 ('Ghosts and other revenants'). Older reports linked carbon monoxide poisoning to ghost-like hallucinations. Common prescription medication and over-the-counter drugs (such as sleep aids) may also, in rare instances, cause ghost-like hallucinations, particularly zolpidem and diphenhydramine. Recent research has indicated that ghost sightings may be related to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Historically, certain toxic and psychoactive plants (such as datura and hyoscyamus niger), whose use has long been associated with necromancy and the underworld, have been shown to contain anticholinergic compounds that are pharmacologically linked to dementia (specifically DLB) as well as histological patterns of neurodegeneration. Despite centuries of investigation, there is no scientific evidence that any location is inhabited by spirits of the dead. Their existence is impossible to falsify, and ghost hunting has been classified as pseudoscience. The overwhelming consensus of science is that there is no proof that ghosts exist. According to a 2009 study by the Pew Research Center, 18% of Americans say they have seen a ghost.

They are believed to haunt particular locations, objects, or people they were associated with in life. Ghosts are generally described as solitary, human-like essences, though stories of ghostly armies and the ghosts of animals rather than humans have also been recounted. Certain religious practices-funeral rites, exorcisms, and some practices of spiritualism and ritual magic-are specifically designed to rest the spirits of the dead. The belief in the existence of an afterlife, as well as manifestations of the spirits of the dead, is widespread, dating back to animism or ancestor worship in pre-literate cultures. Other terms associated with it are apparition, haunt, phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter or spectre, spirit, spook, wraith, demon, and ghoul. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism as a séance. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to realistic, lifelike forms. A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living.

Ghost spectre